Associate Professor; Co-Director – Genetics and Genomic Sciences Undergraduate Program This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
3148 East Science Hall, Science & Engineering Complex
(205) 934-9680
Research and Teaching Interests: Undergraduate Biology Education, Discipline Based Education Research, Community Engagement, Sustainability, International STEM outreach
Office Hours: By appointment
Education:
- B.S., Nagpur University, Biology
- M.S., Nagpur University, Biology
- Ph.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham, Environmental Toxicology
Sami Raut is an Associate Professor of Biology in the Department of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. She currently serves as a co-director of the Undergraduate Program in Genetics and Genomics Sciences opens a new website between the College of Arts and Sciences and Heersink School of Medicine.
Trained as an environmental toxicologist, she has now transitioned into discipline-based education research by embracing the realms of scientific teaching. Sami has received active and sustained funding from National Science Foundation for her research projects. She has actively engaged undergraduate and plan II masters’ students in biology education research projects. Some of these research endeavors have been translated into publications with many of her students as co-authors with various national level recognitions opens a new website.
Finally, she believes that an undergraduate education in STEM can pave the way to push the frontiers of science towards novel discoveries and inventions. Let her know if she can help you forge on this life-changing transformative journey in STEM and/or you are interested in working her supervision.
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Research Interests
Sami’s interest in biology education is focused on analyzing the factors that promote teaching and learning in the context of peer-to-peer mentoring groups for gateway courses. Her efforts have led to the establishment of the Biology Learning Assistant’s initiative opens a new website. Furthermore, she is interested in exploring the factors that contribute towards the retention of first-generation, minority, and transfer students in STEM. She has an active area of interest in utilizing service-learning as a community engagement tool to educate non-STEM majors.
Sami is the also the co-founder of the PEERS Network (Persons Excluded because of their ethnicity and race) affiliated with the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER) and currently serves as a PI for Broaden SABER, NSF BIO LEAPS grant. Previously, she has co-founded the ROSE (Research on STEM Education) network at UAB and served as a Co-PI on the NSF-RCN funded network.
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Recent Courses
- BY 123: Introductory Biology I
- BY 124: Introductory Biology II
- *BY 101: Topics in Contemporary Biology
- *BY 101 QL: Topics in Contemporary Biology (Online)
- BY 261: Introduction to Microbiology
- *BY 488–02: Instructional Teaching Practicum (Academic Service-Learning)
- *BY 495-02A : Instructional Teaching Practicum : Honors
*Designed as “Service-Learning” courses.
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Academic Distinctions and Professional Societies
Academic Distinctions:
- Four Year College & University Section Biology Teaching Award, National Association of Biology (NABT), 2023 opens a new website
- Biology Faculty Mentor Award, Council on Undergraduate Research, Washington, DC, 2023 opens a new website
- Adriel D. Johnson, Sr. Mentoring Award, Alabama Academy of Science, AL, 2023 opens a new website
- Provost Award for Faculty Excellence in Undergraduate Research, UAB, 2022 opens a new website
- Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education: Research – Gulf South Summit, 2022 opens a new website
- Mental Health Champion Award, UAB, 2021
- Blazer Way Award, 2021 opens a new website
- IAspire Leadership Academy Fellow, 2021 opens a new website
- Blazer Core Curriculum Fellow, 2021
- Provost Award for Faculty Excellence in Service-Learning, 2019
- Deans Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2018
- Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award, 2018
- Disability Support Services Outstanding Faculty Award, 2017
Professional societies:
- American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Alabama Academy of Science (AAS)
- American Society of Microbiology (ASM)
- Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)
- Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER)
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Student Groups
- Faculty Advisor, Disabilities Advocates Organization
- Faculty Advisor, International Rescue Committee
- Member, Golden Key International Honor Society
- Member, Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society
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Students
Undergraduate Students
- Michael Howell
- Karishma Parbhoo
- Kynadi Brasfield
- Nykierra Taylor
- Derek Dang
- Sahar Moughnyeh
- Sarah Glass
Graduate Students
- Ryleigh Fleming (ABM)
- Bianca Convers (Plan II - non-thesis)
- Vashti Convers (Plan II - non-thesis)
Post-Docs
- Christina Morra (MERIT-IRACDA) – Research
- Keri Kemp (MERIT-IRACDA) – Teaching
Alumni
- Sebastian Schormann (UAB Heersink School of Medicine)
- Anna Jones (UAB Heersink School of Medicine)
- Rachel Rock (Graduate student, UK)
- Gabrielle Richards (UAB - PA School)
- Tamara Montes (UAB – School of Education – MS)
- Daniel Mendoza (School of Education – George Washington, MS)
- James Boyett (UIC MD-PhD)
- Tam Tran (PA school)
- Joshua Bishop (Law School, GA State)
- Cinnamin Cross (University of South Alabama College of Medicine)
- Diana Bucio (University of South Alabama College of Medicine)
Learn more about this research.
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Select Publications
- Morra CN , Adkins SJ, Barnes ME, Pirlo OJ, Fleming R, Convers BJ, Glass SP, Howell ML, Raut SA (2024), “Impression of the COVID-19 Vaccines Improve for Non-STEM Majors After Producing a Podcast Addressing a COVID-19 Misconception opens a new website,” Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education.
- Adkins-Jablonsky, Brasfield K, Tran T, Morris J, Raut SA (2023), “Which course resources and student approaches to learning are related to higher grades in introductory biology? opens a new website,” Journal of Research in Science Mathematics and Technology Education.
- Fleming R, Adkins SJ, Esteban M, Cross C, Chatham-Hutson A, Raut SA (2023), “Championing awareness of the opioid epidemic through a service-learning module for non-STEM biology majors opens a new website,” Frontiers in Education.
- Prunuske AJ, Evans-Anderson HJ, Furniss KL, Goller CC, Mirowsky JE, Moore ME, Raut SA, Swamy U, Wick S, Wolyniak MJ (2022), "Using personas and the ADKAR framework to evaluate a network designed to facilitate sustained change toward active learning in the undergraduate classroom opens a new website," Discover Education.
- Morra C, Robert Schultz , Raut SA (2022), "A Lesson from the Pandemic: Utilizing Digital Tools to Support Student Engagement During Instructional Assistant-Led Sessions opens a new website," Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.
- Dang D, Moughnyeh S, Stephens E, Convers V, Adkins-Jablonsky, Raut SA (2022), “A Pandemic Pivot: Podcast as an Active Engagement Tool in the Classroom and Beyond opens a new website,” Course Source.
- Morra C, Adkins-Jablonsky S, Barnes E, Boling T, Almehmi SE, Convers BJ, Dang DL, Howell ML, Fleming RL, Raut SA (2022), Expert-led module improves non-STEM undergraduate perception of and willingness to receive COVID-19 Vaccines opens a new website," Frontiers in Public Health: Public Health Education and Promotion.
- Segura-Totten M, Dewsbury B, Lo S, Bailey EG, Beater-Jones L, Bills RG, Brownell SE et al… & Raut SA (2021), "Chronicling the journey of the Society for the Advancement in Biology Education Research (SABER) in its effort to become antiracist: from acknowledgement to action," Frontiers in Education.
- Schormann SA, Boyett JE, Raut SA (2021), “Troubled waters: Not your typical case of sea sickness,” National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, NY.
